It’s time for college students to stand up and defend their futures.
Tomorrow is Election Day, which, especially during midterm cycles, usually has a low voter turnout among college-aged voters. In November 2010, the last midterm election cycle, 24 percent of people aged 18 to 29 voted.
As a voting bloc , college-aged voters need to defend their values and interests from those who seek to derogate them. Student loan rates, education and healthcare are all issues important to ?college students.
We’re at a time in our political history when every single vote matters in defending our future from greed, corruption and ?ignorance.
In Indiana, Rep. Peggy Mayfield (R-Mooresville) proposed a bill in 2013 to ban out-of-state students in universities from voting in Indiana.
Essentially, the bill would strip voting rights from students who live in Indiana less than one year.
Then, take for example, the North Carolina State Board of Elections, which moved to disenfranchise almost 18,000 Democratic-leaning college students in October. By removing an early voting location at Appalachian State University, the Republican-controlled Board of Elections threatened the rights of thousands of students.
Now, not all Republicans are inherently bad. I’m not bashing Republicans for being Republicans. But they do not have the best interests of college students in mind when it comes to voting or drafting laws.
In Indiana, we have Republican supermajorities in the legislature and a Republican holding the Governor’s Mansion. Out of Indiana’s 11 total Congressional seats, Democrats hold three, while ?Republicans hold eight.
Indiana also has the 16th highest student loan debt per capita in the nation, with the average student graduating with $27,886 in student loans.
Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) voted against a bill that would allow those with student loan debt to lower their interest rates. House Republicans also proposed a bill that could increase student loan interest rates up to 8.5 percent.
It’s in the best interest of college students across the country to support Democratic candidates on Tuesday.
In Indiana, Democrats stand to break the Republican supermajority in the legislature, as well as pick up the position of Secretary of State, the Democratic nominee for which is Marion County Clerk Beth White.
Tomorrow, remember what values you stand for when you vote.
Remember what fundamental principles you want to stand behind. Whether that’s Republican or Democrat, vote your conscience.
I just ask that you remember which party continually fights for the rights of college students and which one abandons them in favor of petty?party politics.
ajguenth@indiana.edu
